Page 62 of Broken Empire

“Youthree need to stop fucking pushing me!I’mnot ready for this!Idon’t want to talk to anyone.Nothingis wrong with me!”

“Weknow that sis.There’snothing wrong with you at all.Ijust don’t want this to keep fucking with your head becauseIknow it has been.Inotice every time you lie when you say you’re fine but you’re really not.Ijust want what’s best for you,”Huntersays, walking over to me and kneeling on the floor in front of me, sinceI’msitting up now.

“Iknow what’s best for me.”

“Iknow sis.I’mnot trying to say you don’t.Ijust…Ijust don’t want you to hurt anymore,” he says kissing my forehead.

“Idon’t want you to hurt anymore either.Iwant you to be happy again,”Masonsays, coming to kneel on the floor next to me as well. “Iwant you to get through this and live your days like you have no care in the world for the rest of your life.”

“I-Ineed time.Fromyou, from the doc and from everything else.”

IseeGraysonwalk the doc out andIlet out the breath thatIdidn’t even knowIwas holding.

“Leave.I’vegot her,”MasontellsHunter.Theystare at each other for a moment before my brother nods his head.

“Don’tfuck this up orI’llkill you,”Huntersays, slapping him on the shoulder before standing to his feet.

“Youlove me too much to kill me now,”Masonsays andIroll my eyes at their idiocy.

Hunterleaves and closes the door behind him andMasonlifts me up in his arms and walks us over to my bed.Hegently places me on the bed before getting in next to me.Igo to argue but decide against it becauseI’mtired and he’ll just do what he wants anyway.Hepulls me into his arms and cuddles me.Igo to speak but he just shushes me.

“Shhh.Relax.I’mjust going to hold you.”

“Fine.”Ishould be fighting and screaming,Ishouldn’t let him touch me but honestly,I’mjust too tired to fight.Tooexhausted to do anything really.

“You’reso beautiful,” he whispers as he rubs my back up and down in a soft and gentle motion. “IpromiseI’llmake it all up to you.Oneday, you’re going to forgive me.”

Igo to answer but he shushes me again.Theoddest thing happens in the next instant.Hestarts singing to me, softly.Ihave no idea whenIfall asleep butIeventually do, to the soft timbre of his voice flowing to me.

MASON

Igently moveWinteroff my chest an hour after she falls asleep and set her head on the pillow beside me.Imove quietly, getting off the bed and covering her body with the blanket.Iclose the door gently behind me, asIleave the room.

It’sbeen an exhausting day.Whatwith us arguing constantly nonstop.Ihad to argue with her to eat her food and then to talk to the doc for a while, plus some other skirmishes throughout the day.Gotto say, there’s never a dull moment with my girl, as she’s determined to put me through my paces.

I’mtired to the bone since it feels likeI’vebarely gotten any sleep from the time she was taken, to rescuing her and now keeping an eye over her.IfIdo manage to sleep, it’s only been for an hour or so.

Ikeep having nightmares of her being taken and it’s making me want to watch her twenty-four seven.IthinkI’msuffering from separation anxiety orPTSD.Ifshe’s not in my bed soIcan hold her,Istart to become paranoid.Ithonestly feels likeI’mlosing my mind half the time.

Ilet out a breath asIhead toward the kitchen and the backdoor of the cabin, planning to get some more flowers and then write another noteIknow she won’t read…

“Whereare you going?”Grayasks asIpass by him andHunter, on my way to the door.

“I’llbe back in a sec.”

“Okay, bro.”

Iwalk untilI’min the garden.It’sa nice one with lots of various kinds of flowers, a thing of beauty.Ihonestly wouldn’t have takenHunterfor the gardener type.Psychoyes, gardener no.Butthen again,Iguess weirder things have happened since my life got turned upside down.OnceIget a bouquet’s worth,Ihead back inside to see that both of them are still in the same spot.

“Idon’t want to be the one to say it, butI’mgoing to,”Huntersays.

“Saywhat?”

“You’restill in deep shit.Likegigantic because she still hates you,” he tells me with a sorry look on his face.

“Gee, thank you captain obvious!YouthinkIdidn’t already notice that asshole.Lookslike yourIvyleague education is really working for you right now,”Isay and roll my eyes.

“Geez, no need to get all huffy.I’mjust trying to help.”

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